A sphere is an object that is universally found in nature from planets, stars, to atomic particles. Because of its spherical qualities and interaction with forces such as gravity and movement in space, the ball has been an ideal object for sport and play that has spanned uses in civilizations from ancient to modern. A sphere's inherent qualities and unique interaction with forces in nature render it an ideal object for human use and interaction. And while balls and spheres have been ubiquitous in traditional sports and games, there are few devices in the market that combine the properties of a sphere to capture full ranges of human gestures, forces and interactions and provide unique output applications based on these unique gestural inputs. And while interactive hardware and connected smart devices have become an integral part of society, there are few devices in the market that can combine the sphere's natural ability to capture human gestures to render interactive output in the form of music, data, art, gaming and learning applications.
Moreover, there is need for spherical input and output devices in healthcare. Rehabilitation of stroke patients and other patients who have neuromuscular or neurodegenerative disorders with loss of motor or sensory functions requires treatment that includes motor and sensory learning. In patients with a neurodegenerative disorder (such as stroke) a person may lose fine-tuned motor skills in their hands or fingers or be unable to complete complex tasks which require fine motor coordination. Other patients who suffer neurodegenerative damage may lose visual, auditory, tactile or other sense impressions that are vital to daily life.
It has been well-documented that intensive and repetitive training of motor skills can be used to modify neural organization and recovery of functional motor skills. Schneider S, Münte T, Rodriguez-Fornells A, Sailer M, EA, Music-Supported Training is More Efficient than Functional Motor Training for Recovery of Fine Motor Skills in Stroke Patients. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 2010; 27(4):271-280. doi:10.1525/mp.2010.27.4.271. There are many forms of treatments currently being deployed for such patients, which include having patients squeeze objects, place blocks or objects in a puzzle, and even interact with computerized boards on a wall which been sensorized to detect whether a user has pushed a button in response to visual or auditory feedback. Other brain-training exercises include having a user play learning or memory games on a computer with a traditional mouse and keyboard which requires the user to identify objects or words on a screen and take appropriate responsive action in the game with the mouse or keyboard.
It has also been demonstrated that music and sound are beneficial to patients who have suffered neurodegenerative loss of motor or sensory skills. It is well documented that certain musical tones, timbres and rhythms can stimulate different parts of the brain, such as the auditory, visual occipital lobes, and also the cerebellum, motor cortex and amygdala. The complex range of musical tones, timbres, and rhythms can activate different regions of the brain and trigger neurophysiological responses and cognitive learning. Studies have shown that music improves learning and cognitive functions in patients with cognitive or neurodegenerative disorders. Brain mapping studies have shown a clear correlation between musical notes, tones, frequencies, tempo, rhythm and other musical intonations which correspond to different regions or interactions of different regions within the brain. Gaidos S., More than a feeling: Emotionally evocative, yes, but music goes much deeper. Science News. 2010; 178(4):24-29. doi:10.1002/scin.5591780423.
The auditory cortex is organized in terms of sound frequencies, with some cells responding to low frequencies and others to high. Moving from the inside to the outside of part of the auditory cortex, different kinds of auditory analysis take place. In the core, basic musical elements, such as pitch and volume, are analyzed, whereas surrounding regions process more complex elements, such as timbre, melody and rhythm.
There are few activities that require more of the brain than playing music. It uses complex feedback systems that take in information, such as pitch and melody, through the auditory cortex and allow the performer to adjust their playing.
The visual cortex is activated by reading or even imagining a score; the parietal lobe is involved in a number of processes, including computation of finger position; the motor cortex helps control body movements; the sensory cortex is stimulated with each touch of the instrument; the premotor area helps perform movements in the correct order and time; the frontal lobe plans and coordinates the overall activity; and the cerebellum helps create smooth, integrated movements. Habib M, Besson M., What do Music Training and Musical Experience Teach Us About Brain Plasticity? Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 2009; 26(3):279-285. doi:10.1525/mp.2009.26.3.279.
It is also well documented that musical learning helps autistic children and children with learning disorders. Research shows that music enhances and optimizes the brain, providing better, more efficient therapy and improved performance of cognitive, motor, and speech/language tasks. Lee H, Noppeney U., Long-term music training tunes how the brain temporally binds signals from multiple senses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2011; 108(51). doi:10.1073/pnas.1115267108. Studies show that people perform these tasks better with music than without.
Research shows musical training in children enhances the activity of important neural systems. Playing a musical instrument results in changes in the brain in specific regions such as the auditory cortex used for processing musical tones; the motor cortex, a region activated when using the hands or fingers; the cerebellum, a part of the brain used in timing and learning; and the corpus callosum, which acts as a bridge between both hemispheres of the brain. Other regions may also be enhanced.
Studies show that music can improve motor skills. Palmer C, Meyer R K., Conceptual and Motor Learning in Music Performance. Psychological Science. 2000; 11(1):63-68. doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00216. Research supports parallels between rhythm and movement. Rhythm can be used as an external timekeeper to organize, coordinate, and improve movement. Halsband U, Binkofski F, Camp M. The Role of the Perception of Rhythmic Grouping in Musical Performance: Evidence from Motor-Skill Development in Piano Playing. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 1994; 11(3):265-288. doi:10.2307/40285623. Musical training and engagement can facilitate more functional, organized, coordinated, and higher quality movements in fine motor and gross motor skills including motor planning, motor control, motor coordination, gait training and body awareness.
Research also demonstrates that music can improve cognitive skills. Music provides an optimal learning environment, organizes information into smaller packages that are easier to learn and retain, and aids in memorization. Music has the capacity to engage attention and encourage concentration. Research indicates that attention is necessary before learning can take place. Research indicates that music is often successful as a mnemonic device for learning new concepts, such as learning the alphabet through the “ABC Song”. Music therapists use music to improve cognitive skills such as attention, memory, mood, and executive functioning (higher level thought processing), including academic skills. Making Material More Memorable . . . with Music. The American Biology Teacher. 2013; 75(9):713-714. doi:10.1525/abt.2013.75.9.16.
Musical learning can improve speech and language. Research supports parallels between singing and speech production, and music's ability to facilitate improved communication skills. Murphy A T, Simons R F., Music Therapy for the Speech-Handicapped. The Elementary School Journal. 1958; 59(1):39-45. doi:10.1086/459687. Musical engagement can enable those without language to communicate and express themselves non-verbally. Additionally, musical engagement often assists in the development of verbal communication, speech, and language skills. Music therapists can assist a person with dysfunction or delays in various speech/language abilities to learn how to speak through singing or communicate nonverbally through music.
Music can also improve social, emotional and behavioral skills. Music is highly motivating and engaging and may be used as a natural reinforcer for desired responses. Musical engagement can stimulate patients to reduce negative and/or self-stimulatory responses and increase participation in more socially appropriate ways. Musical engagement facilitates improved social skills such as shared play, turn-taking, reciprocity, and listening and responding to others. Musical engagement also provides a non-threatening and structured environment in which individuals have the opportunity to develop identification and appropriate expression of their emotions.
Music can improve sensory skills. Music provides concrete, multi-sensory stimulation (auditory, visual, and tactile). The rhythmic component of music is very organizing for the sensory systems, and as a result, auditory, visual, tactile, proprioceptive (input to muscles and joints), vestibular (input for balance) and self-regulation processing skills can be improved through musical engagement.
Since it has been shown that patients with neurodegenerative, sensory, motor or cognitive disorders react favorably to games and interactive devices, a sensorized ball or sphere is an ideal object for patients: it can be easily adaptable to therapies that enhance learning and benefit from dynamic interactions. A ball, which is spherical in shape, can be easily held, rolled, touched and squeezed. Such a ball can be adapted with a number of different sensors that measure data related to touch or movement, and can be mapped to generate auditory, visual, and haptic feedback for the user. A ball that has sensors and an embedded processor can record the input of the user or patient as they interact with the ball through pressing sensors, rolling, or throwing and catching the object. Interaction with such a ball can stimulate learning, improved motor function and sensory stimulation, as well as neurophysiological changes which can be recorded through software, hardware and brain mapping tools such as CAT, PET, EEG or MRI scanning equipment.
In order to track the motor developmental progress of stroke patients, and others with neuro-motor, neuro-sensory, or neurodegenerative disorders, what is desired is a sensorized ball that is connected to a computer which records user input (in the form of pressure, touch, movement, and other gestures) and has output means to provide a visual display and auditory feedback of the user's interactions with the ball.
Also provided the documented benefits of neuro-musical therapy, what is needed is a ball that adapts as a musical instrument based on the abilities and skills of a user. For example, facilitating a meaningful musical experience for a patient with neurodegenerative impairments using a traditional keyboard, trumpet or even a computer, under the theory that music learning and engagement enhances general learning and cognitive function, can present prohibitive barriers for a therapist and their patient. Such instruments are difficult to learn even for patients without motor, sensory or cognitive impairments. However, a ball that simply requires the user to squeeze one or more areas activated by sensors that fit the natural gestures of a user is far more approachable for a user with neurodegenerative and/or cognitive issues. Such a ball can be programmed based on the input and abilities of the user, unlike traditional musical instruments.
Another benefit of such a device is to introduce a variety of musical possibilities that can be customized by a user through a computer user interface. This allows a user to selectively specify the sounds, instruments, and audio samples which are mapped to one or more sensors along the surface area of a sensorized spherical device.